In The Mind's Eye
by Hart4Ben
Summary: A farce on Bonanza FanFic.


Dark eyes scanned the mountains in the distance. With the toe of his boot, a tall man kicked snow away from a circle of stones. He removed his glove and bent low to dig deep into the pile of ashes. The remaining warmth confirmed that he was not far behind those he was tracking. With some effort, he located the fading tracks that the snow had nearly covered. He heaved a sigh as he mounted his horse, ready to continue on his wearisome journey, but fearful of what he might find when he caught up to those he was following.

Ben pushed Buck hard once he saw patches of blood along the trail. "Surely Hoss has caught up to him. Why haven't they stopped?"

Sensing that he was closing the gap, Ben moved on with urgency. Just as the light was beginning to fade from the sky, he could make out voices in the distance. He gave Buck a firm kick when he heard a disconcerting, painful wail. Ben leapt from his horse at the sight of Hoss holding a distraught Adam.

The big man glanced over his shoulder at his father. "Pa! I got ta him as quick as I could, but he's a mess! Look, Adam. Pa's here. Everything's gonna be fine now."

Adam responded with a loud moan. "No, Hoss, no! Don't let him take me back! You can't do it! I can't take anymore!"

"Adam! Son! Where are you hurt?" Ben implored.

Adam laughed in derision. "Where am I hurt? Where am I hurt?! Pa, for the love of God, where am I not hurt?!"

Hoss looked at his older brother with pity. "Pa he's been talkin' outta his head like this ever since I got here."

Ben pushed back the dark curls that were pasted to Adam's forehead with sweat despite the fact that it was freezing and the snow was falling faster than it had a few minutes earlier. "Adam you're bleeding. We've got to get you to cover and get you warm."

Adam whimpered. "No, Pa, just leave me here to die. I can't go on like this."

"No, Adam, you can't leave me, too. Every woman I've ever loved has died or run away. I can't lose you! I know I've worked you like a dog and expected you to be perfect, but you're just delirious. You don't really mean what you're saying!"

Taking his oldest son in his arms, Ben checked over Adam's body and found a multitude of places where he was bruised and bleeding. "How did this happen? Was there an explosion?"

"Suddenly Adam's eyes went wild. "Pa you just don't understand! They are all after me!"

"See what I mean Pa? Who's he talkin' 'bout?" Tears were building in Hoss' blue eyes.

Ben shook his head trying to make sense of what Adam was saying. "Who is after you son? There is no one here but us."

"Those people out there! You know the one's who make up the stories. They're always trying to hurt me. Someone's always lurking behind a boulder, calling me out into the street, or trying to get revenge. Indians! Outlaws! Bullets! Arrows!" Adam gasped to catch his breath. "And Pa, I'm sorry! I can't fight you anymore. You win! Your unwillingness to ever try anything new is too great a burden, like a millstone hanging around my neck!" Adam paused; the steam from his desperate pants rose up into the frosty air. "And the women! Oh my God, the women! I just can't get any rest. There is always at least one, sometimes several. Some are stupid and many are evil, but even the good ones, Pa…" Adam sucked in a big breath. "Even the good ones won't give me a moment's peace. They all want me to make love to them. I never have one minute to myself!"

Ben's eyes grew wide hearing his son's uncharacteristic discussion of his affairs with women. "Come on, Hoss. Help me pick him up and move him to a better spot. Tomorrow we'll fix a travois to get him back to the ranch."

Adam began to struggle in Ben's arms. "No! No! I can't go back to the ranch! Don't you see! Joe is there! He hates me, Pa! I can't go back there and keep facing that turmoil! Those people out there won't ever let it be done. I will forever be at odds with Joe."

Just that second, Cochise skidded to a stop and Joe launched himself toward Adam. "Adam, what do you think you are doing running off with no explanation. I may be jealous of you and loathe the very air that you breathe, but how dare you do this to my Pa!"

"Joseph!" Ben growled.

Hoss turned quickly and shoved Joe to the ground. "You watch yur mouth, little brother, iffn ya know what's good for ya. Ya got no call ta talk ta Adam that way!"

The icy glare Hoss gave his younger brother brought Joe to his senses. The youngest Cartwright jumped up and brushed the snow from his green jacket and smacked his hat against his leg. "Geez, Adam! I'm really sorry. You're my brother and I love you! Please come back to the ranch!"

Adam sighed deeply. "That brings me to the ranch. I can't save it again, Pa! I'm just too tired. I've got no more plans. I'm played out! Hoss, tell him! You understand." Adam gazed up at his brother looking for sympathy. "You had to come find me again. You can't keep doing that. You need a life of your own, brother! You can't spend your entire existence trying to save me from myself! Just leave me here! Please! It will be better for all of us!"

Hoss squatted down next to Adam and spoke softly. "But, Adam who will keep me from bringing home every no-account stray and save me from them women that are way smarter 'en me? Ya just gotta come back home."

Physically and emotionally spent, Adam lost consciousness. Joe rung his hat in his hands and then turned away. Hoss looked at his father with sadness and disbelief. Tears coursed down Ben's face as he tried to process Adam's piteous pleadings….

In the shroud of darkness, writers scrawled notes, tapped a pen on a desk, or stared out into space before continuing to pound away on a keyboard. Their next tale was beginning to move from thought, to word, to machine; days, hours, or possibly only minutes away from posting their next tumultuous saga of the Cartwright family.


End file.
